Medical Evacuation on QM2 now? (10 June 2024, 01:20(UTC))

[leyland1989]

Tracking QM2 on marine traffic out of curiosity since it's the first time in a very long time the QM2 is doing a 6 days crossing. 

I'd be interested to know how fast it will be going (should be around 22-26kts, near her maximum designed speed).

It was going pretty quick for a while at around 24 kts but suddenly turned toward Plymouth and slowed down to 10kts 10 mins ago (01:10 UTC). 

 

Is there anyone currently onboard know what's going on 🙂 ? 

[leyland1989]

I think I have answered my own question here. 

 

Hopefully they make it back ashore safely 

[moses0]

We were awakened T 1:30 am with the captain telling us a helicopter was coming to take a person off to Plymouth. Pray they are ok

we are doing CD about 24 knots at times 

[Ray66]

There was also a helicopter evacuation on the QM2 a couple of days ago, sailing the North Sea en route from Norway to Zeebrugge.  We were awakened about 3am by the captain with instructions what not to do. Nearly gave us a heart attack. This made the cruise 4 hours behind schedule and excursions had to be changed. We were also doing 24 knots to make up time.

[JT1101]

QM2 designed cruising speed is in the 24-26 knot range, at full speed she is a 29-30 knot ship. They tend to run a bit slower both for fuel economy and the length of the trip dictates speed - for example TAs now take 7 nights at sea where if she ran full out they could be 5 nights. 

[leyland1989]

16 minutes ago, JT1101 said:

QM2 designed cruising speed is in the 24-26 knot range, at full speed she is a 29-30 knot ship. They tend to run a bit slower both for fuel economy and the length of the trip dictates speed - for example TAs now take 7 nights at sea where if she ran full out they could be 5 nights. 

If I remember correctly (from other forums posts or interviews), QM2 is designed with a service crusing speed of 24-26 kts for 6 nights crossings with some headroom up to around 28 or 29 kts to make up time should there be any delays. 30kts was the top speed during sea trials and it's not sustainable in revenue service. 

 

However, the main diesel engines can only sustain speeds up to 24 kts, anything over will require one or two gas turbines to be brought online (they have high fuel consumption and burn MGO which is more expensive than bunker fuel). 

 

A 7 nights crossing average out at 21 kts and 6 nights should be around 24-25 kts. It appears that QM2 is doing exactly that right now. 

 

6 nights crossing maybe a let down for some but it's one of the rare time we get to experience her true potential since they changed to a 7 nights schedule. 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 10 by leyland1989

[Kynance]

4 hours ago, Ray66 said:

There was also a helicopter evacuation on the QM2 a couple of days ago, sailing the North Sea en route from Norway to Zeebrugge.  We were awakened about 3am by the captain with instructions what not to do. Nearly gave us a heart attack. This made the cruise 4 hours behind schedule and excursions had to be changed. We were also doing 24 knots to make up time.

I was on this cruise too. We got up to at least 25.1 knots at one time - as captured on this photo of the navigation channel, taken on Saturday evening after our departure from Zeebrugge.

 

[JT1101]

And in 2018 when we had to make up time in the Atlantic because of storm dodging we hit 30 knots for a while. QM2 is capable of hitting the gas when needed. 

[moses0]

Been doing between 24-25 

[BigMac1953]

The trouble is, for almost a year, there has been only one gas turbine. The other blew up.

[JT1101]

I've not seen anything anywhere about a turbine blowing up. Also she was recently in refit and I am sure they addressed power plant work.

[TheOldBear]

The LM2500 turbine housings are designed to allow for rapid replacement - if replacement was needed I also would have expected that to have been in scope for the last 'availability'.

[BigMac1953]

For a whole variety of reasons, it hasn't been replaced yet.

 

There was no public announcement when it failed completely. They don't provide a running commentry.

Edited June 11 by BigMac1953

[Jack E Dawson]

At the CWC cocktail party last night Capt. Hashmi announced that the individual who was air lifted off the ship is making a good recovery. He also said that our average speed since leaving SH has been 24.6knts and it has been interesting watching the fuel needle nose dive. 
Jack

[Rck1999]

Successful hoist. 

[Carnevale]

Does the QM2 have a place where a helicopter can land or is the person lifted off using a long line?

[BigMac1953]

Last year, after leaving NYC we had to change course to redezvous with the Canadian Coastguard for an emergency casevac,

 

The helo hovered for almost one hour and made a successful evacuation.

 

Discovered later that the casualty had acute appendicitus, but recovered well.

[Rck1999]

4 hours ago, Carnevale said:

Does the QM2 have a place where a helicopter can land or is the person lifted off using a long line?

No landing pad, patient is hoisted aboard helicopter using line and winch. 

[chengkp75]

5 hours ago, Carnevale said:

Does the QM2 have a place where a helicopter can land or is the person lifted off using a long line?

Even those ships with "helipads" will almost never have a helicopter land on it, unless the ship is in port.  Landing on a moving, rolling, pitching small deck while the ship's superstructure moves towards the helicopter is dangerous in the extreme, so winch evacuation is done 99% of the time.